Leica Camera is pleased to present The Leica M for (RED), designed by Jony Ive and Marc Newson. The camera, based off the Leica M, will be auctioned off at Southeby’s on November 23rd 2013 to raise money for The Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.From a design standpoint, it features a laser machined aluminum body and an anodized aluminum outer shell. A total of 561 models and nearly 1000 prototype parts were made during the 85 days it took to create of this unique, one of a kind camera.

The camera has s a full-format CMOS sensor, high performance processor and new Leica APO-Summicron –M 50mm f/2 ASPH lens representing the best in photography along with its innovative design.﻿

The essence of the Leica design has completely disappeared.In addition, for the designer the European public is not important. The distance scale of the lens is in imperial measurements, no metrics. Is this perhaps the evidence that the Leica, while a magic object, is provided with an outdated technique.﻿

I like the idea of the recessed controls on the top cover. The extreme rounded edges are too reminiscent of Apple's original translucent Mac OS X theme for me. It feels somehow unfinished or incompletely refined—a collector piece never actually intended to be used. For such a marque as Leica, this is perhaps a step too far away from function toward form. ﻿